


Night in the Whispering Woods

by CrossBownes



Category: Night In The Woods (Video Game), She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/F, F/M, Night in the Woods is a great game guys, Swift Wind is a dog, but hes there too i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25433026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrossBownes/pseuds/CrossBownes
Summary: Two years after leaving her quiet hometown for college, Adora finds herself back home in Etheria Springs. Everything is so achingly familiar, but it's obvious that things have changed: her friends have grown up, her favorite hangouts have closed, and worst of all, her best friend went missing the day after Adora left.---Two years after she ran away, Catra drifts back into Etheria Springs. It's accidental, but the longer she sticks around the harder it is for her to move on—especially when she discovers someone else is back in town as well.---A She-Ra spin on Night in the Woods, combining one of my favorite shows with one of my favorite games. Hope you enjoy!
Relationships: Adora & Bow & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra & Entrapta & Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66





	1. Last Train Home

_“When I am among the trees,  
especially the willows and the honey locust,  
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,  
they give off such hints of gladness.  
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.  
I am so distant from the hope of myself,  
in which I have goodness, and discernment,  
and never hurry through the world  
but walk slowly, and bow often.  
Around me the trees stir in their leaves  
and call out, "Stay awhile."  
The light flows from their branches.  
And they call again, "It's simple," they say,  
"and you too have come  
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled  
with light, and to shine."_

-Mary Oliver, “When I Am Among the Trees”

~~~

The best part about trains, Catra decided, was their predictability.

Sure, they weren’t as fast as planes, couldn’t cross oceans like a ship, and unlike cars were restricted to following a track—but maybe that wasn’t always a bad thing. A little stability is good every now and then.

“God knows I could use some,” Catra mutters to herself, sitting up. She winces, sore from her position lying on the uneven wooden floor of the boxcar, which constantly shuddered with a steady rattle. 

She scowls at the ceiling and slumps back down onto the floor with a dissatisfied huff, pillowing her head on her rucksack and pulling her weathered army jacket over herself. A bleary-eyed glance at her old, dented watch confirmed that it was, in fact, midnight, and after pulling an all-nighter yesterday to find the tracks and hop this train, Catra wasn’t about to let a little rattle get in the way of her long-awaited rest. 

Flipping the bird to the boxcar as a whole and settling back down with a wide yawn, the scruffy woman let sleep take her again.

~~~

Catra found herself awoken once again a couple hours later, but not by the rattle of her boxcar. In fact, Catra noticed, furrowing her brow, the car was hardly clattering or shuddering at all right now. What’s more, the usual noise of the train was similarly absent. Picking herself up, she crawled over to crack open the sliding door on the wall and peer out.

The reason for the quiet was immediately clear as she squinted into the darkness outside her little haven: the train was stopped. Or, at least, it was in the process of stopping. As she looked on, the wheels screeched to a halt. 

Were they at a station or something? Catra eased the door open a bit further to take a better look. If they were, it was an odd place for it, although the view was phenomenal. 

The train was stopped on a ridge overlooking a dense forest. The sky was just beginning to brighten in the east with the cold rays of an autumn sun, beginning to illuminate the red and yellow and orange-mottled autumn leaves with cool twilight. The entire canopy seemed almost ethereal. It was beautiful—almost beautiful enough to distract her from the sound of distant voices further up the line of train cars.

Catra quickly ducked back into her own car. Must be some kind of inspection, or maybe they’d gotten word of a stowaway—in either case, it would probably be smart to make herself scarce. She quickly grabbed her jacket and bag, pulling them on and daring to take another quick look outside. 

Two male figures were just becoming visible now, carrying flashlights as they went car to car, looking for something. Keeping her eyes on them, Catra carefully lowered herself out of the boxcar to the gravelly ground beside the tracks, crouching and creeping away from the train until a shift of her foot sent a spot of pebbles clattering down the ridge to the forest below. 

Catra cringes, but luckily the two men don’t seem to have heard. She glances back down the rocky slope below her to the foliage of the woods. It’s basically an ideal hiding spot, although it’s a bit far down. She sneaks another glance up at the inspectors, steadily making their way closer, and mutters a curse under her breath. Looks like she doesn’t have a choice. 

She slings her pack over her shoulder and, with only a moment’s hesitation, drops over the lip of the ridge. For a brief moment, she’s falling—just long enough to contemplate the odds of her body being found if she broke her neck—and then she hits the pebbly slope. Catra can’t hold back a yelp of alarm as she suddenly finds herself tumbling head over heels, clattering down the pebbly slope until she rolls to a stop in a heap.

Everything hurt. Catra tries to sit up and groans as she feels a burst of pain in her abdomen. Gingerly, she lifts a hand to feel her side, wincing as it brings another wave of pain. Bruised ribs, for sure, but probably not broken. Good, because it’d be a cold day in hell before she set foot in a doctor’s office. 

Catra slumps back to the ground, staring skyward into the underside of the dense canopy above her. Here and there little twinkles of starlight glint through the leaves, only to be hidden in a rustle of branches the next instant. Catra heaves a sigh and cringes. Right, her ribs. 

She slowly rolls over with a grunt and pushes herself upright. The fall left her filthy (but what’s a little more?) and there’s a bit of a nasty-looking cut on her arm, but nothing too serious. A moment’s search finds her rucksack fallen under a bush, and she dusts it off, tossing it over her shoulder as she turns her attention to the woods around her.

Catra wasn’t _entirely_ certain where she was, but she had a decent idea. These trees look remarkably similar to the ones back ~~home~~ in Etheria Springs, and she vaguely remembered glimpsing the lights of a town nearby during her little reverie on the train. 

She squints into the deep darkness of the woods, scrounging for a moment in her back before producing a battered flashlight. When the button doesn’t work, a couple good solid thwacks cause the dull yellow beam to flicker to life, illuminating the towering obelisks of the tree trunks surrounding her. Catra flinches, then shakes her head, feeling her hair stand on end. Somehow, a dim flashlight in the woods at night feels creepier than complete darkness in the woods at night.

She shoves aside her fear. If something was going to attack her out here, it would’ve done it while she was lying dazed in the dirt. She stands a little straighter, a little confidence coming back into her stance. Yeah, _she_ was the most dangerous thing out here. Any bears or wolves or whatever-the-fuck could be hiding in the shadows better watch out for Catra.

...but probably best to hurry up and find her way to that town, anyway. Just in case.

~~~

Catra glances back and forth anxiously as she shuffles through the woods, the light of her flashlight flicking between the heavy trunks. She’s been walking for a while—this town better be close or she might just lose her mind wandering through these trees, either from fear or plain old frustration, whichever came first. 

She perks up as her light glints off something metallic up ahead. As she gets closer, she can see exactly what it is: a chain-link fence, surrounding an ancient wooden playground, the paint faded and the wood rotting. Charming.

Catra steps back, eyeing the fence. Ten feet tall, stretching off as far as she can see in either direction—might be best just to hop it here instead of looking for a gate. It’s awfully high, though...how’s she going to get over that? Slowly, Catra’s mismatched eyes wander to one of the towering oaks looming over her.

Climbing up is no problem. Catra’s always been good at clambering up to places ~~Weaver~~ other people can’t reach. She grunts as she pulls herself up onto one of the thick branches hanging over the fence, scooting along it until she’s looking down on the dilapidated structure of the playground itself.  
Now for the scary part. Catra drops her flashlight down, followed by her rucksack, both landing in a heap in the wood chips below. Taking a deep breath, Catra slowly lowers herself to hang from the limb...and lets go.

She hits the ground hard, falling to the side to try and break the fall. It works, sort of, but she still feels a sharp spike of pain shoot through her ankle. Ouch. Catra rolls over, starting to get up awkwardly and testing her ankle, gritting her teeth as she feels another flare of pain. Wonderful.

She bends down awkwardly to pick up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder as she finds her flashlight. A solid whack makes the dull beam flicker to life again, the structure before her casting sharp shadows against the fence.

Catra lets her light wander over the worm-eaten wood, her lip curling in disgust—and then freezes.

This can’t be...can it? 

If it isn’t, why does it look so familiar?

The corkscrew slide, the monkey bars over there with the chipping red paint…

No. No way she’s back _here_ of all places. What are the odds that a random train would end up dumping her right back in Etheria Springs? Even _she_ couldn’t have luck that bad, right? Catra feels herself starting to hyperventilate, notices she’s taken an unconscious step back. No. She can’t actually have made a full loop right back to her hometown, and she can prove it.

Catra marches (well, limps) to the flimsy tower of the playground, her light drifting over the mossy wood planks, her eyes scanning intently over years, decades’ worth of graffiti and abuse...until she finds what she’s looking for, and the air is sucked out of her lungs.

_C + A_

No. No way. This can’t be happening. Unbidden, a sea of buried memories in the back of Catra’s mind is starting to flood back, making her think back to high school, to Weaver, to Ado-

She doesn’t realize how hard she’s squeezing her flashlight until there’s a distinct _crack_ and the light goes out, leaving her in darkness. The sudden shift snaps Catra out of her near-panic attack, and she looks down at the broken plastic in her hand, dimly visible in the moonlight now that she’s out of the trees. 

Catra stares at the broken flashlight for a second, then scoffs, dropping it in the dirt. “Fucking _perfect_. Just...exactly what I needed. I spend all this time trying to get as far as I can from this _fucking_ town, and I end up RIGHT WHERE I STARTED!” 

With a shout, she kicks the shattered flashlight, sending it skittering across the ground as another spike of pain shoots through her ankle, making her stagger back against the wood of the playground. Catra sags against it, feeling herself shaking with...anger? Frustration? Sadness? 

None of them seem to fit, so Catra finds herself just glowering helplessly at the initials carved into the wood...until a light clicks on behind her, casting her shadow over the carving and making Catra almost jump out of her skin.

“Now, now. Who’s this making such a ruckus in the middle of the night?” The voice stops Catra cold. A shiver runs down her spine, and she feels the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She knows that voice. She told herself she’d never hear it again, and yet on bad nights she does, echoing through her dreams. Or rather her nightmares, to be more precise. It’s not that the voice itself that makes her stop in place, rooted to the spot by fear—no, that smooth, condescending drawl is as calm as always. What makes Catra freeze is the absolute shitstain of a human being that always accompanies it.

Slowly, she turns around, wincing as the beam of the flashlight temporarily blinds her, although not completely enough that she misses the slow, horrible smirk that spreads across the scarred face behind the light.

“Well, well, well...the prodigal daughter returns. I can’t say I expected to see you again, Catra, although perhaps I should have—trash you cast aside does have a way of finding its way back to you.”

Catra scowls, crossing her arms. “Yeah, well, it wasn’t by choice. And can you get that light out of my face? We can see each other just fine without it.”

“Oh, Catra. Why so rude?” The woman lowers the flashlight, allowing Catra to see her fully for the first time in two years. The long, dark hair, tucked into the policewoman’s cap and the blue blouse to match; the cold, cruel green eyes that Catra swears she would see watching her from the shadows wherever she went; and the broad, horrible scar disfiguring the left side of her face, tracing a jagged pattern from her forehead around her eye and down to her jaw, currently open in an undisguised sneer. “I raised you better.”

“‘Raised’ is a strong word for it,” Catra growls. “What are you doing out here, Weaver? Do you just spend your nights patrolling the fence, looking for some small animals to torture? Maybe a rabid possum or squirrel?”

“Either of which would be better behaved than you,” the woman replies evenly, her green eyes seeming almost to glow in the shadow of her cap as she looks Catra up and down. “You look terrible. I see that hasn’t changed.”

“And you’re still a bitch, _mom_. I see that hasn’t changed.”

Weaver’s sneer morphs into a scowl. “To answer your question, yes, as a matter of fact, patrolling the perimeter of our lovely town is one of my duties. As is arresting delinquents and unsavories causing a scene.” Her hand goes to her belt.

Catra blinks and raises her hands defensively, thinking fast. “You’re arresting me?! On what charge?”

“Does it matter?” Weaver rolls her eyes. “Loitering. Occupying a recreational area after it’s closed.”

Catra gulps, but stands up straighter and shifts her weight, putting on a cocky smirk. “I’m not loitering. I was just...on my way home.”

“Your way...home,” Weaver repeats, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t live here anymore, Catra. And you’re certainly not welcome anymore. Even if you hadn’t run away, you know I was going to kick you out the moment you turned eighteen.”

Catra glares. “Not with you. I’m...living with Scorpia.”

“Scorpia.”

“...yes.”

“Scorpia Garnet. Your classmate.”

“That’s right.”

Weaver stares at her for a moment. Catra can see a muscle working in her jaw before her look of irritation turns into one of smug self-assurance. “Very well. In that case, it would be my pleasure to offer you a ride back home, young lady. As an officer of the law, it would be _irresponsible_ of me to leave one of my _dear_ citizens stranded at the edge of town with an injured leg.”

How did she know…? Catra stops herself from rolling her eyes. Of course. Weaver had always been able to read her like a book. “Gee, thanks, but I can walk. I don’t want to take up any of your precious patrol.”

Weaver steps closer, putting a hand on Catra’s shoulder. Catra flinches but can’t pull away as the policewoman tightens her grip, her fingers digging into Catra’s jacket. “Oh no,” she replies in the same even drawl, her grin looking like the teeth of a starving shark as she looks down at Catra. “I insist.”

~~~

Weaver raps on the apartment door, stepping back and fixing Catra with a look that absolutely oozes malice. There’s a distinct clatter and clang of falling metal, probably dishes, from inside, followed by a muffled voice. 

“Oh, jeez...I’m coming, sorry! Just a second...”

Catra finds herself rolling her eyes again. Scorpia had always been clumsy through high school. Looks like some things never change. Still, at least she had a decent place. Weaver had driven her to an apartment suite built above some kind of nightclub—the Fright Zone, the sign had said, although it seemed to be closed. At least it was quiet for now, or Catra doubts Scorpia would have been able to hear the door.

A few moments (and another cascade of dishes) later, the door swings open and a muscular woman even taller than Weaver comes into view. Scorpia’s face lights up when she sees Catra. “Wildcat! Boy, I haven’t seen you in-”

Catra abruptly clears her throat. “Good to see you too, Scorpia. I got lost on my way home, you know how bad I am with directions. Luckily Officer Weaver here was kind enough to give me a lift back here. To your home. Where I live.”

Scorpia frowns, glancing between Catra’s wide, meaningful eyes and Weaver’s skeptical gaze. The big woman suddenly brightens, her face lighting up as if a lightbulb had visibly turned on above her head. “Ohhh…! Oh, right! Um, yes, of course, good to, uh, have you back, Catra. I was...starting to get worried that you weren’t coming back! From, uh, work, I mean. Since you live here.”

If looks could kill, Weaver would be sending Catra to the deepest pit of hell. Catra returns the glare with a shit-eating grin. “Welp, glad that’s settled! Nice to see you again, Officer, hopefully for the last time! Goodnight!” She hoists her bag over her shoulder and quickly barges past Scorpia into the apartment, catching the other woman’s arm and pulling her along as she does. Weaver opens her mouth to say something, only to have the door slammed in her face.

Catra lets out a pent-up sigh of relief, sagging against the door. “Oh, thank God that’s over with, for a minute I thought she was really gonna-”

The breath rushes out of her lungs as Scorpia abruptly wraps her in a bone-crushing hug. Catra lets out a wheeze of protest, scrabbling to get free before the big woman finally releases her. “Catra! Gosh, it’s been so long! Where have you been, Wildcat? When you ran off everyone looked for you, but…”

Catra takes a few steps back, brushing herself off. She can’t seem to meet Scorpia’s gaze. “Yeah, ‘cause I skipped town. Hopped on a train.”

“Um...can I ask wh-”

“No. Look, sorry I had to barge in like that, I didn’t mean to interrupt...whatever you’re doing. I’ll get out of here, don’t worry, I shouldn’t even have...this was a mistake.”

“No, no, wait!” Scorpia steps forward, reaching out but balking as Catra fixes her with a glare. “Right, sorry—personal space. Look, I might not be the best at reading people, but...you don’t really look like you have anywhere to go, Wildcat. If you want, you can stay here with us. No pressure, just for as long as you need to. We’ve got an extra futon and a spare room, although it’s pretty packed up with junk since we’ve been using it for storage.”

Catra blinks, dumbfounded for a moment. “You’re...wait, what?” She half-laughs, incredulous. “Why would you want me here? Don’t you...wait a second. Did you say ‘we’?”

“Hi Catra!” A new voice inches from her ear makes Catra jump nearly a foot in the air, scrambling away from the newcomer. Back pressed to the wall, chest heaving, Catra recognizes the short woman who had crept up on her.

“Oh, Entrapta. You’re here. Wonderful.” Catra looks her up and down and tries for her default smirk. “I love what you’ve done with your hair.”

Entrapta cocks her head, puzzled, one hand reaching up to touch her purple-dyed ponytails. “But...this is the hairstyle I’ve had for the past five years. Don’t you...oooooh, humor!” The tinkerer face lights up and she claps her hands. “You’re very funny, Catra. So you’re going to be staying with us?”

“Uh, I was just-”

“Excellent! You can stay in the storage room, I used to keep all my experiment materials in there until Scorpia said it was a ‘fire hazard’,” Entrapta over-emphasizes the air quotes, rolling her eyes. “If you ask me, science is more than worth the cost of any insurance premium! But statistically it is more helpful to have friends, so I moved most of it.”

Catra blinks, feeling like she’s a few steps behind. The last thing she wants to do is spend more time in fucking Etheria Springs, but the first thing she wants to do right now is sleep, so she’ll take what she can get. Beats holing up under a bridge, at least. “Thhhhanks. I think. Um, in that case, I’ll just...go get settled in there, I guess.” 

She starts to back away, but Scorpia perks up again. “Oh! I’ll show you around real quick!” Before Catra can protest Scorpia has thrown a muscular arm around her and is steering her off into the apartment.

“So here’s our kitchen-slash-science-lab. Entrapta insists it’s the best place for her to do her ‘experiments’, and frankly I don’t cook in here very much anyway so...I just let her do her thing. Over here’s the dining area and the living room. I know the TV looks kind of crappy, but Entrapta somehow managed to patch into the neighbor’s cable, so we have that going for us. And over here…” 

Scorpia ushers Catra over to a lopsided door, shoving it open with a distinct grating noise to enter a small bedroom. About half of it is packed with boxes of junk, everything from connector sets to a cracked terrarium and even a stack of botany textbooks. 

A threadbare futon has been crammed into a corner, making a sort of claustrophobic alcove with the boxes around it. Scorpia steps over and gestures around herself proudly. “Your room! Well, now it’s your room. If you want. Just, you know, until you find another train or something, okay?” 

She clasps her hands and looks with such earnest, unguarded hopefulness that it makes Catra want to vomit. The drifter heaves a sigh, rolling her eyes. “Fine, Scorpia. I guess I don’t exactly have any better offers, so whatever.”

“Haha!” The next thing Catra knows she’s in another rib-cracking hug. “Yes! You’re the best, Wildcat!” Scorpia finally releases her, giving Catra room to wince and rub her aching ribs. The big woman is grinning ear to ear with such happiness that Catra has to look away. “I knew you’d come back one day. Um...well, make yourself at home! I was about to go to bed and Entrapta...I don’t really know what her schedule looks like, so she might be up, or maybe not. Take your time, though!” Scorpia nods as she backs out the door. Just before closing it, she pauses. “...Good to have you back, Catra,” she adds with a smile before shutting the door with a click.

Catra tosses her backpack to the floor besides the futon and collapses onto it with a huff. Well, this certainly isn’t how she expected the night to go. Still, it’s...not entirely unpleasant, at least. Seeing Weaver was a bit of a shock, but she has somewhere adequate to sleep, and it looks like not _everyone_ hates her. Even this little ratty alcove in Scorpia’s storage room is kind of cozy in its own little way.

Catra shrugs off her jacket and pulls off her boots with a grunt, tossing them over by her backpack before curling up in her makeshift sleeping space. Back in Etheria Springs, again. Who would’ve thought. She rolls over and drifts into a fitful sleep.


	2. Fortunate Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another lost soul finds her way back to Etheria Springs.

“Back in Etheria Springs, again,” Adora mumbles to herself. “Who would’ve thought?” 

She glances down at Swift Wind to find the white German Spitz looking back up at her from his dog carrier. A smile quirks Adora’s lips. “Oh, don’t you give me that look, I know you’re excited to be here.” The little dog lets out a little huff and lowers his head onto his paws.

Outside Adora hears the bus doors close with a hiss as the lumbering machine rumbles to life, rolling out into the night once more, leaving her alone at the station. The entire building seems to be deserted, which is to be expected, really. Even when Adora had lived here there hadn’t been a ton of traffic coming through, and what visitors they did get never came by bus. 

Although...Adora does hear a slight scratching sound around the corner. Hefting her backpack up on her shoulder and picking up Swifty’s carrier, she peers down the hall towards the source of the sound.

It’s a little old lady, probably the most ancient person Adora has ever seen, hunched over as she sweeps at the ground in front of the door. Just as Adora spots her the woman pauses, the wagging tip of her broom pausing before she looks up, catching Adora’s gaze with owlish eyes magnified by thick glasses.

Abruptly, the old woman speaks up, her warbling accented voice breaking the oppressive silence of the bus station. “Mara, dearie? Is that you? Oh, it’s been so long, come say hi!” 

Adora feels a chill run down her spine. Did that woman just call her…? She takes a deep, nervous breath and straightens, approaching the stranger cautiously. “Um, hello...sorry if I startled you, or anything. My name is Adora, actually, Adora Grayskull. Did...did you know Mara? I don’t know if you heard, but she’s been...gone, for a while now.”

The woman cackles, poking Adora in the stomach with her broomstick. “Oh, don’t be silly! Mara wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye, hm? Very rude, yes, very rude indeed! And Mara is never rude to poor old Razz.”

Adora swallows a lump in her throat, setting down Swifty’s carrier. “Yeah, well. Sometimes it happens, you know. Life happens.”

Razz bobs her head ponderously, peering up at Adora with those big searching eyes. “Yes, yes, it’s very true. But all the more reason to be polite! You never know what may happen, so remember to be kind to your friends, Mara.”

Adora sighs, shaking her head. “I’m not...you know what, forget it. Look, Miss...Razz, was it?”

“Yes, yes, Madame Razz, dearie.” The old woman begins sweeping again, even though the floor seems to be spotless.

“Right, Madame Razz. Where is everyone?”

“Oh, they all went home. It’s very late, you know, dearie.”

“Right.” Adora glances at the clock ticking away up on the wall. 1:00 AM. “Um, so you haven’t seen anyone who might be here, maybe waiting to pick me up?”

“Hmm…” Razz seems to think for a moment, then shrugs with a cheerful smile. “Nope!”

“Wonderful.” Adora’s shoulders slump. Glimmer _had_ said she and Bow would be here to meet Adora when she arrived, but...well, Glimmer wasn’t always the most organized person she knew. And a small town like Etheria Springs doesn’t exactly have a taxi service or Uber...which meant Adora was walking the mile or so into town. Whose idea was it to put the bus station all the way out at the edge of the woods?

Adora tries not to groan, glancing down as Swift Wind lets out a sympathetic whine. “Well. Thanks anyway I guess, ma’am.” She bends down to pick up Swift Wind’s carrier when suddenly Razz’s bony hand shoots out, grabbing Adora’s chin with startling speed and strength for a woman of her age. Adora yelps, about to pull back when she meets Razz’s gaze, the old caretaker’s dark eyes boring into her own.

Then, just as suddenly, Razz lets her go. Adora takes a hurried step back, hand going to her chin when Razz speaks up. “Such lovely eyes you have, dearie.” She picks up her broom again, beginning to sweep the pristine tile. “Beautiful blue eyes. Much better than green, yes? Yes, much better.” 

She doesn’t look up again, leaving Adora to slowly scoot around her and hurry out the station door into the night.

~~~

Ten minutes of nerve-wracking hiking later, the headlights of a car illuminate the dark road. Adora stiffens, resisting the urge to look back over her shoulder. Swift Wind, who she’d let out of his carrier to walk with her, seems to sense her discomfort and brushes against her leg. 

Etheria Springs was home and all, but, well. It was also a fairly poor town, and it paid to have eyes in the back of your head. Adora starts walking again, picking up the pace. Behind her, the rumble of a car’s engine gets louder, closer. Adora feels her heart rate picking up. She worked out, she can handle herself, but what if it’s a whole gang? 

Worse, what if they don’t even bother getting out of the car and just run her down. She glances quickly off to the side—the featureless trunks of the Whispering Woods hem in the road like a massive corridor. She steps off the road and continues walking along the side, tensing a bit. If worst comes to worst she’ll do what she has to. She feels Swifty’s reassuring presence at her heels as the car approaches.

Then, a slight squeak of brakes. Adora can’t help but glance over her shoulder, seeing the battered vehicle slowing to a halt. She sets her shoulders, raising a hand to shade her eyes from the glare of the headlights. At very least she won’t go down without a fight. 

The passenger door opens and Adora is ready to go down swinging when instead a familiar voice pierces the night.

“Adora..? Adora Grayskull?”

“... _Kyle?!_ ”

~~~

And so Adora finds herself in the backseat of a dented minivan, Swifty in her lap, grumbling over Etheria Springs’ pothole-riddled roads into town. Kyle had been polite enough to sit in the back with her after insisting on giving her a ride into town—Rogelio was driving, the brawny guy just as stoic and silent as Adora remembered from their grade school days. Adora would’ve flat-out refused a ride from anyone else, but she trusted these two. Even when they’d begun to grow apart more in high school, they’d always been friendly whenever they saw her, unlike Ca-

Adora stopped that thought right there. She gave Kyle a sideways look, her old friend’s face faintly illuminated by the glow of the headlights on the road. He was hardly the scrawny boy she had known in grade school, always being picked on by all the other students. He was still lanky, but he’d clearly grown into himself more. Adora glances towards the front seat, then leans towards Kyle.

“So, are you two…?”

“Huh? Oh!” Even in the dim light Adora can see his face redden. “Uh, yeah. We’re together. Started going out senior year of high school, actually. After graduation we got an apartment together. Lonnie’s with us, too. We’ve been saving up to move out to Mystacor City, actually…”

Adora can’t help but smirk at his obvious fluster. Rogelio got a kick out of it too, judging by the low chuckle that rumbled from the front seat. Adora reaches out to put a hand on his shoulder as Kyle slouches down in his seat, his blush deepening. 

“Hey. I’m happy for you guys, I’m glad you’re doing well. Lonnie too.” Adora’s smirk fades as she realizes the name prominently missing from that list. She clears her throat, pulling her hand from Kyle’s shoulder and petting Swift Wind in her lap idly. “Um. How’s Catra been doing, then?”

She tried to say it casually, but Adora has never been a good liar. Still, her awkwardness doesn’t entirely explain the way the whole car seems to go cold, Kyle stiffening and Rogelio seeming even more unreadable than usual. 

“Oh…” Kyle mumbles, casting a sideways look at Adora and just as quickly looking away again. Still, even in that split-second glance Adora could see the expression in his eyes, something almost like pity. If anyone is a worse actor than Adora, it’s Kyle. “Right...I guess you wouldn’t know, huh?”

Adora frowns. “Know…? Know what?” 

Kyle looks distinctly uncomfortable, fidgeting with his hands in his lap. “Adora...Catra’s been missing for two years.”

Adora’s heart seems to stop. She stares blankly at Kyle. “Two...years? But...that’s-”

Kyle nods, not quite able to meet her eyes. “She skipped town the day after you left. I mean, no one saw her do it, but it was kind of obvious. She was...pretty bent out of shape, and after-”

Adora cuts him off. “And no one has heard from her? No letters or, or phone calls or something? She’s, what, just...gone?”

Kyle winces, finally looking at her. “Adora, you know how she was.” He catches her expression and quickly corrects himself. “Is. She’s not exactly the type to call up her friends for a casual chat, even when she was still around.”

Adora sags in her seat. Two years. Catra had been gone for two years, and she’d had no idea. The day after she left...had Catra run off because of what happened between them? It...it couldn’t be _Adora’s_ fault that-

She’s jerked out of her trance as the car abruptly jerks to a halt, pulled up to the curb of a familiar suburban neighborhood. “Here,” Rogelio grunts. Adora looks out the window—sure enough, they’re right out front of the address Bow had given her, a cozy little house not far off main street. She opens the door, stepping out of the car, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and grabbing Swifty’s carrier. The little dog hops out after her, sniffing through the grass of the lawn while Adora turns back.

“Um...thanks for the ride, guys. And good luck with your plan, I hope you make it to Mystacor.”

Kyle forces a grin, but there’s a shadow of that same discomfort behind it. “Oh, thanks Adora! It’s good to see you back in town and everything. Uh.” He glances at Rogelio, who doesn’t seem inclined to say anything. Kyle shrugs. “Have fun with your friends!” With that, he slides the side door shut and the minivan growls to life, driving off into the night. 

Adora stares after them for a moment, watching the taillights fade between the trees. She takes a deep breath, turning her back on the road and looking at the building ahead of her. A small, somewhat quaint two-story house that blended easily into the other homes on the street, fitting in perfectly as another unremarkable suburban residence. Adora takes a step forward, hesitates, then continues up the short path to the door, where warm yellow light glows behind the windows.

Inside, she can hear some muffled voices. _Looks like Bow and Glimmer are home after all. Did they really just forget about me?_ Adora shakes her head, banishing the thought. She takes a deep breath and knocks on the door.

The voices inside stop. She hears a faint shuffle before the door slowly swings open and she finds herself staring into Bow’s dark, mystified eyes. There’s an awkward moment where he simply stares at her—Adora can practically see the gears turning in his head as he processes her presence. Behind him, she hears her other friend’s voice.

“Bow? Why are you so quiet, who’s there?” Glimmer comes to the door, ducking under Bow’s arm before stopping short, just as dumbfounded as her roommate.

“Glimmer…” Bow’s voice is even and patient, but with that oh-so-familiar tone of exasperation Adora had heard so often throughout high school. “Didn’t you say Adora was coming _Wednesday?_ As in, tomorrow?”

“Um...yeeess?” Glimmer replies sheepishly, the response sounding more like another question than an honest answer.

“Then why is she standing on our doorstep _right now?_ ”

“Well...uh, maybe…” Glimmer stutters, a definite blush of embarrassment rising to her cheeks.

“Probably because my arrival time was listed as 12:30 AM on Wednesday, which is really more like Tuesday night. It’s easy to mix up at a glance,” Adora cuts in to spare Glimmer. 

Swift Wind yips and barrels into Bow’s legs, forcing him to stagger back a step. He breaks into a grin, squatting down to greet the dog. “Swifty! Aww, I missed you too buddy, how has college been, huh?”

Glimmer grins at the two of them, but her expression is concerned when she turns back to Adora. “Adora, I’m so sorry—it’s totally my fault that we got confused, we should have double-checked the info. How did you even get here?”

Adora shrugs. “I mean, I walked part of the way, but Kyle and Rogelio spotted me and let me hitch a ride. It’s no big deal, Glimmer, really. I’m fine, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, but...you know,” Glimmer crosses her arms. “...I still feel bad about it. And I’m still keeping you on the doorstep, Mom would totally kill me. Come on in, I’ll help with your stuff,” she beckons Adora inside and takes Swift Wind’s carrier, shutting the door behind her friend. Bow seems to have already retreated to the kitchen with his doggy friend, probably to find some treats. Glimmer nods towards the stairs. “I’ll take care of setting up a spot for Swifty. Why don’t you go upstairs and settle into your room—it’s basically the same as when you left, we haven’t really needed it for anything.”

Adora nods, giving Glimmer a grateful smile before making her way upstairs as she hears the shorter girl follow Bow to the kitchen, followed by some slightly muffled raised voices—something about dogs not eating apples. She shakes her head, stepping into her room and turning on the light.

Glimmer was telling the truth—it was almost exactly as Adora had left it. Her nice firm bed, the fluffy comforter Glimmer had insisted she keep because _It’s the most comfortable thing ever Adora oh my God you have to hold on to it_. Even her decorations were still there, the horse posters on the walls and a few of her varsity soccer trophies from high school. Even…

Adora shrugs off her bag, walking over to sit on her bed. She picks up one of the picture frames sitting on her bedside table, brushing the dust off it. The other pictures are her with Bow and Glimmer at an amusement park, Adora in her soccer uniform sweaty after a big game, Swift Wind playing in the yard. Treasured memories, of course, but her focus is drawn to the smaller frame in her hands. 

The picture it holds is from her school’s field day in fourth grade—little Adora is grinning a gap-toothed smile, filthy from a full day of sports and games, happy as can be as she throws her arm around Catra beside her, whose red hairband is struggling to hold back her messy mane. Adora brushes her thumb over the picture, still surprised at how those distinctive heterochromatic eyes seem to pierce right through the picture and bore into her head. 

She sets the picture down, her brow furrowing as she remembers the nervous tension that had fallen over the car when she brought up her old (former?) best friend. She still couldn’t believe it. Why had no one told her before? Adora lies back on her bed and closes her eyes, the grinning heterochromatic face smirking back at her behind her eyelids.

_Catra...what happened to you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Be Continued -->
> 
> Looks like both our girls are back in town...


	3. Wayward Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra goes for a walk and runs into an old friend.

Catra wakes up blearily and promptly falls out of bed. 

As consciousness returns to her, for one panic-inducing moment, she has no idea where she is. The thought isn’t particularly unfamiliar to her—drifting around the last couple years has landed her in some strange places. After all, if you fall asleep on a train there’s no telling where you’ll end up—but waking up in an unknown bed in an unfamiliar house is definitely cause for concern.

She tries to bolt out of bed and manages to get herself entangled in her blanket, falling to the floor in a heap with her arms pinned uncomfortably under her. She struggles, managing to squirm her arms free only to get one foot caught twisted in the sheet. One slew of growled curses and violent thrashing later she stumbles to her feet, panting and glaring at the futon.

“You alright in here, Wildcat? I heard a crash,” Scorpia asks, peeking in the door. Catra almost jumps a foot in the air with a very undignified yelp.

“ _Fuck,_ Scorpia, don’t you knock?!” She barks, clutching her chest. Her friend laughs sheepishly, staying in the doorway.

“Sorry, sorry about that. Usually people see me coming, so I’m not actually used to scaring anyone. I was just checking to see if everything’s okay, I heard some commotion.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Catra mumbles, rubbing a bruise forming on her elbow. “I just fell out of bed, no big deal. Morning, by the way.”

Scorpia snickers. At Catra questioning glare, she nods to the dusty digital clock beside the bed, which reads “2:34 PM” in glowing red numerals. “Not quite morning, Wildcat. You seemed like you needed the rest, so I didn’t wake you.”

Catra rolls her eyes. Of course. Well, this is probably where regularly getting five hours of sleep gets you, she reasons, and nods with reluctant gratitude. “...Thanks, I guess. I probably did need some rest, it’s been a long time since I got to sleep in an actual, you know, bed.”

Scorpia nods in sympathy, reaching out to put a hand on Catra shoulder but pulling it back when the smaller woman visibly tenses. “Sure thing, Wildcat. And—not to be rude or anything, I’m just saying this as a friend—it looks like it’s _probably_ been a while since you cleaned up properly, too.” She raises her hands defensively as Catra bristles. “Just saying! The bathroom’s right across the hall if you need it. Take your time and everything, though, there’s no rush! I’m just glad to see you again.” 

She grins brightly, and Catra gets the distinct impression that she’s trying not to bounce up and down with excitement. “Oh, you probably haven’t eaten, right? Why don’t you get cleaned up then while I make you something!” Before Catra can protest she’s turned on her heel and hurried off towards the apartment’s kitchen, humming happily to herself. Catra lets her shoulders sag with a sigh. She had almost forgotten how annoyingly _attentive_ her friend could be, even if she was usually a little clumsy about it. She stretches languidly, feeling her joints pop and grunting in relief. She hadn’t been lying before—it was nice to get some sleep in an actual bed. Hell, it was nice to be in a home again, even if it was only temporary. And it was temporary—Scorpia might want her around, but Catra hadn’t exactly left town on the best of terms with everyone. It would probably be best for her to get a move on before she drew too much attention.

Cautiously, Catra lifts an arm, sniffing her army jacket that she had slept in. Eugh...maybe Scorpia had a point. It _had_ been a while since she had the chance to wash anything, and who knows when she’d get another opportunity. One quick shower later, Catra sits on her futon, trying to work the knots out of her frizzled mane of hair with a purple-stained hairbrush. After yet another painful yank she snaps, throwing the brush at the wall with a hiss. _Stupid fucking hair—how does Entrapta deal with so much of it?_ she thinks to herself, collapsing back on the futon.

She reaches over to her rucksack, tossed haphazardly at the foot of her bed. She fishes around for a second before pulling out her phone, the only piece of technology she had from before she had...left town. She clicks the button, then frowns and clicks it again. The device stays stubbornly dark, reflecting Catra’s frustrated face fragmented by the spider web of cracks across the phone’s surface. Catra groans, slumping back further. Admittedly, she had been a little careless tossing her bag around earlier. Hopping off a train, falling down a hill, dropping out of a tree...just in general. Still, it just figures that it would choose now of all times to give out. And it’s not like she had any money to pay for a new one.

Catra glares at the cracked rectangle of glass and circuits before dropping it to her bed. “Fuck!” she growls, mostly to herself. Unbidden, her eyes drift from the phone to the dye-stained hairbrush still lying in the corner, and she sits up, a smirk crossing her face as an idea begins to form. Entrapta was tech-y, right? Maybe she could help out…

~~~

Catra walks out into the apartment to find Scorpia eagerly waiting for her at the table, two plates of slightly-singed Eggo waffles set out. Catra awkwardly slides into one of the chairs, feeling the big woman’s gaze on her. “Uh, thanks, Scorpia. You know you didn’t have to…”

“Of course I did!” Her friend perks up, picking up her fork. “You’re a guest, it’s only right that you get a proper meal now and then.”

“Right, proper…” Catra mumbles, sawing into her waffles. ‘Proper’ isn’t exactly the word she was looking for. ‘Passable’ might be more accurate.

“Speaking of which...you know, you don’t _have_ to be a guest,” Scorpia adds, with clearly forced nonchalance. “I mean, it’s not like we’re using that extra room...you’re welcome to just stay here with us. It’s better than going back on the street, right?” She looks over at her friend, eager hope in her eyes.

Catra pauses, unable to meet Scorpia gaze. She clears her throat uncomfortably. “Um...well, you know, I kind of have my own thing going on...it’s really nice of you to let me stay, I mean it, but I don’t wanna be a burden or anything. I’ll just, you know, get back on my feet or whatever and then head out again.”

She’s not looking at Scorpia but she can still see the bigger woman deflate out of the corner of her eye. Catra swallows, but forces herself to keep eating, staring at her plate as Scorpia speaks up, only a little disappointment creeping into her tone. “Oh...well, that’s fine! Like I said, there’s no pressure here for you to do anything. It’s great just to see you again, even if it is just for a little while.”

They lapse into an awkward silence as they continue eating, neither woman able to find the words to comfortably break the ice. Catra only speaks up once she finishes her waffles. “Um, so, Entrapta! She’s not hanging around right now, is she? Maybe cooped up in her room working on one of her weird inventions or something?”

Scorpia looks up, frowning slightly. “Um, no, she’s at work actually. Down at the Radio Hut. It’s kind of fitting, I guess, she’s always fiddling with computers anyway, might as well get paid for it.”

Catra blinks. Radio Hut? She almost pities the sucker who hired Entrapta for a job like that. Poor bastard probably had no idea who he was dealing with. “...Huh. All right then. Wait, Radio Hut? Since when does Etheria Springs have a Radio Hut?”

Scorpia shrugs. “You were gone for two years, Wildcat. Stores come and go. It’s down on Main Street if you want to go see her. Just down the road from the diner, across the street from Club Crimson.”

Catra nods, standing and picking up her plate. “Got it...yeah, maybe I will go pay her a visit. Thanks, Scorpia.”

Her friend beams. “Anytime, Wildcat? Hey, do you need a ride or something? I can drive you over there on my way to-”

“No, no, don’t worry about it,” Catra quickly cuts her off, pulling on her boots and grabbing her jacket. “It’s a good day for a walk, I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure? It’s been a while since you-”

“I’m sure! Later!” Catra calls over her shoulder as she shuts the apartment door. Whew. Scorpia was great, but damn, she really didn’t understand the concept of ‘giving people space’. Catra shoves her hands in her jacket pockets, trudging out onto the street and heading off towards town center.

~~~

Etheria Springs, it turned out, had not changed much in the last two years, which only meant that what _had_ changed stood out even more. The new seafood place on Salineas Avenue, the new benches around the war memorial, the newly-painted facades of the townhouses scattered around the hill the church sits on, the new benches surrounding the war memorial in the town square. Catra pauses a second to look at the memorial, crossing the street to stand on the patchy grass in front of it. 

A statue gun-toting soldier stands frozen mid-step atop a dark slab, bronze eyes forever fixed on the horizon. Catra glances down at the names engraved on the slab, gold etchings in the black stone. Supposedly the names of all the citizens of Etheria Springs who had gone off to war and not come back. To Catra, it was little more than words carved into an unfeeling rock. 

She didn’t even remember the last time a name had been added to the memorial—in fact, she was pretty sure everyone who would have any memory of these soldiers was either long dead or had moved out of town. It was just sad, really. Each of those names represented someone who had fought for this town, and here it was, dying anyway as people moved away in search of jobs or greener pastures. Ugh, best not dwell too long on those thoughts—she’d already made up her mind to leave this place behind a long time ago. Catra shoves her hands in her pockets, turning away from the memorial only to stop short as she sees the girl standing a few paces behind her.

The newcomer cocks her head, hazel eyes flicking up and down as she sizes Catra up. Catra instinctively almost shrinks back a little, an old reflex as the girl shakes her head with a snort, her copper complexion standing out from her dark windbreaker. “Hey, firebug. Didn’t expect to see you around here again.”

Catra scowls, crossing her arms. “I didn’t expect to be around here again either, Lonnie, but things happen. And don’t call me that.”

Lonnie smirks. “Why? Everyone knows you did it.”

Catra meets her gaze, her lip curling in a mirthless grin. “Oh yeah? Then prove it.”

Lonnie’s eyes narrow. The two girls stare each other down for a minute, but eventually it’s Lonnie who cracks first, shifting her weight with an expression of discomfort. “Tch. Whatever. Still, you’ve got guts coming back. Must be for something important.”

Catra almost laughs at that. “I had to dodge a train inspection, nothing special about it. Wandered through the woods for a while and ended up back here. Trust me, if I’d known where I was I would’ve just stayed on the train.”

“You’re leaving, then?”

It’s Catra’s turn to shift uncomfortably. “I mean, yeah, probably. Eventually. I...figured I’d stick around for a day or two, y’know, just to see how things have changed.”

Lonnie laughs aloud, the sound almost startling in the quiet town square. “Ha! I never thought I’d see the day when Catra Weaver was feeling nostalgic for this place, but here we are.” She chuckles again, shaking her head ruefully. “Speaking of which...I guess you’ve probably been avoiding your mom, huh?”

Catra winces. “I wish. She actually snatched me up as soon as I got back. Had to convince her I was staying with Scorpia for her to let me go. I swear to God that woman’s like a shark, she can smell my blood in the water from a mile away. I was barely even within town limits and she was waiting for me.”

Lonnie half-shrugs. “Well, she’s basically the only real cop in town. And nothing really happens around here anyway, so as soon as something noteworthy happens she’s all over it.”

Catra almost snickers at that. That definitely sounded like Weaver, snooping around for any excuse to punish some hapless teenagers loitering around or an unfortunate jaywalker. “Yeah, that figures. And what about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. What are you still doing here?”

Lonnie’s smirk returns. “Leaving, actually. Kyle, Rogelio and I are all packing up and shipping off to Mystacor City in a week or two. You had the right idea getting out of here while you could. Although you could probably have left just as easily without burning down-”

“Yeah, whatever,” Catra cuts her off quickly. “Forget about it. Congrats, I guess, it’s about time you got out of this shithole. Everyone else already left, anyway, nothing worth sticking around for.”

“Well, not everyone. Scorpia and Entrapta are still around, plus that Glimmer girl who always hung out with Ado-”

“I said _forget it._ ” Catra cuts her off again. Lonnie closes her mouth, raising a quizzical eyebrow, but Catra looks away, shoving her hands in the pockets of her army jacket. “I should get going, I have places to be, or something. See you, Lonnie,” she mumbles, shouldering past the girl and hurrying off down the street.

“Yeah...see ya,” Lonnie mutters, scoffing as she watches the disheveled girl leave in a hurry. “Jeez...was it something I said?”

~~~

For all the changes, Catra thought, Etheria Springs was still far too familiar. There was the alley where she’d hide from Weaver, over there the convenience store where she’d buy cigarettes, and there the bus stop where she’d meet with Adora whenever she-

She shakes her head sharply, stopping that train of thought in its tracks. No. She had locked those thoughts away a long time ago, why were they resurfacing now. _Fucking Lonnie._ Of course she’d had to run into her old classmate now. That was probably it, right? The familiar surroundings, her encounter with Weaver last night, and now talking to Lonnie...it was stirring up old memories, and that’s why she was thinking about.... _her_ , even though she had resolved to forget all about it when she skipped town.

 _You mean ran away?_ “Shut up,” she said aloud, shoving down the nagging voice in the back of her head. She hadn’t been _running away_ , not from that at least. Maybe from the arson charges, but that was secondary. She just...needed some fresh air, some new scenery, that was all. She’d spent her whole life cooped up in this dying, backwater town, it made sense that she wanted to get out and see more of the country, right? That didn’t mean she was hiding from something, or that she couldn’t stand to be here anymore when everywhere she turned she saw reminders of her former best friend.

 _Best friend_. Hah. That hardly cut it. They’d been so much more, hadn’t they? Adora had been there to comfort her when Weaver was in a bad mood and Catra didn’t want to go home. She’d been there all through elementary school to stand up for Catra whenever Lonnie was bullying her, or to sneak Catra half her lunch when she didn’t have any money for her own. And Catra had...what, been there for her too? Come to think of it, when had Adora ever needed her for anything? _Maybe that’s why she left so easily. You were just holding her back._ “I said shut _up_ ,” she growls under her breath again, forcing herself to push the thoughts away once again.

She looks up, realizing that she’s arrived at her destination. A somewhat shabby outlet store, brick and plaster, the sign proudly proclaiming “Radio Hut”. Catra pauses a second, taking a deep breath. In, out. Stay in the moment. Forget all about stupid Weaver and Lonnie, don’t think about Adora and how this building used to house one of her favorite fast food places. Chin up, jaw set, pushing open the door and walking inside.

The store was basically exactly what she expected, no different from any other Radio Hut in any other town. Fluorescent lights, shelves stuffed with all kinds of gizmos and gadgets, chargers and headphones and all kinds of things Catra had no name for but that Entrapta could probably gush about for hours. She glances over them as she wanders towards the counter at the back. Entrapta would probably be there, and then she could get her phone fixed and get out of here. _Don’t think about sitting at that counter eating greasy fries with her. Don’t think about the nice old cook who would always put two burgers on when they came through the door. You hate this place, and you’re leaving again as soon as you can. Don’t think about Weaver, don’t think about Lonnie, do NOT think about-_

“Catra?”

She stops cold, frozen in place by a single word. Her mind, a moment ago spiralling into near-madness, goes completely still as Catra slowly looks up to meet the wide blue eyes staring back at her.

Of course. Why not? Why wouldn’t she be here? Everything else in the last twelve hours had decided to screw her over, so why wouldn’t the universe decide to take the one person she didn’t want to see and plop her down right in front of Catra? She almost laughs at the absurdity of it. _If there is a God, he definitely has a sense of humor_ , she thinks. _And he’s also a complete asshole._

So she straightens up, flicking her tangled mane of hair back a bit as she smirks, meeting those blue eyes with her own mismatched gaze, mentally bracing herself for the absolute shitstorm she could feel brewing the back of her mind, and forcing herself to open her mouth.

“Hey, Adora.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Say the line, Catra!"


	4. Yesterday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected reunion, a tense conversation, and a startling encounter.

Adora rolls her eyes. “No, Mr. Penderson, I’m not a ghost.”

“Feh! That’s what a ghost would say,” the old man insists. All the same, he turns away and wanders off down the sidewalk, leaving Adora speechless in the cool morning air.

On one hand, it’s nice to be recognized. Etheria Springs is a proud bastion of “small-town polite”, which of course means that everyone has to stop her on the street and ask how she’s been. It’s touching, in a way, but it’s obvious that their concern is surface-level at best. She’s just another youngster to run off after her dreams and end up back here anyway. Adora sighs, her shoulders sagging a little as she continues down the sidewalk, pushing through the door to the Radio Hut.

“Hey, Bow,” she greets her friend as she makes her way to the counter in the back.

“Hey yourself. You okay?” Bow looks at her with a little concern, raising a questioning eyebrow at the uneasy expression on her face.

“Yeah, of course. Just a little exhausted, you know, with everyone stopping me to ask how I’ve been, why I’m back, if I’ve met a nice boy yet,” Adora snarks. Bow chuckles, and she joins in. It feels good to laugh a little—it hasn’t exactly been pleasant to talk about where she’s been the last two years, especially with relative strangers.

The door to the shop chimes again, but she ignores it, leaning on the counter. “How have things been here?”

“Oh, you know, quiet, boring, typical Wednesday afternoon. Entrapta’s having plenty of fun, of course,” he adds with a nod towards the back room. “She’s back there tinkering with some new gadget, as usual. I have no idea how she does it, but I swear that girl could fix a supercomputer given nothing but tweezers and a socket wrench.”

Adora snickers. She didn’t know Entrapta too well, but the woman’s reputation preceded her. She was basically the tech support for the whole town, after all. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

She hears rustling behind her, someone new approaching. Straightening, she glances over her shoulder with a smile, ready to greet whoever might have wandered in, and-

Blue eyes meet mismatched yellow and blue. Adora’ heart stops.

“Catra?”

For a split-second that seems to last a decade, she’s frozen. There’s no way she’s here—it was only last night that she’d learned Catra had run away. How could she be here, right now, standing only a few feet away? Adora swallows, feeling a lump in her throat. From the way the other girl’s eyes widen, she can tell Catra’s just as shocked as she is—Catra never was that great at hiding her feelings, after all. Adora can watch in real time as countless emotions flicker across Catra’s face before the girl abruptly straightens a bit, seeming to snap out of her initial shock and quickly plastering on a disaffected smirk. 

“Hey, Adora,” she says at last, having apparently regained her composure. Adora takes a hesitant step forward, then another, a cautious smile breaking out across her face.

“Catra! I can’t believe it, you’re here! They said you’d run off, for a while there I thought you were gone for good! I’m so glad you-” she reaches out, reaching out to hug her old friend, and Catra recoils. 

Adora stops, her expression shifting from relieved excitement to confused uncertainty. Was something wrong? She’d thought Catra would be happy to see her—she’d been away for two years, after all. What was up with the pained expression on her face, the indescribable look Adora could see flashing through her eyes? 

It’s only for a moment, Catra catching herself a second later and shrugging, stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets. “Yeah, good to see you too, I guess. Sorry, I’m not much of a hugger. But you should know that, right?” There it is again, that unidentifiable emotion shining through the minute cracks in her expression. 

Adora blinks, frowning a little at the unexpected coldness of her reply. “I...um, yeah, I guess so. How have you been…? I mean, it’s been years!”

Catra breaks eye contact, glancing down at her boots. “Yeah. It has. I’m fine, I guess. Not much to talk about, just the usual boring shit.” She glances up, her lip curling into something more like a sneer than a smile. “Didn’t expect to see you here. What’s the matter, college not good enough for you?”

Adora balks, taking a step back. She didn’t know what she had expected, but it definitely hadn’t been outright hostility. What was going on here? They’d parted on good terms, right? Why was she suddenly so...mean? Adora’s eyes flick up and down Catra's form, suddenly noticing her appearance. Messy hair, dirty jeans, battered jacket—she looked like she’d been sleeping in the woods. “Catra…”

“Whatever. Hey, Arrow.” The other girl cuts her off, turning her focus to Bow, who stiffens, just as caught off guard as Adora.

“Um, my name is actually-”

“Is Entrapta here? I need to ask her about something and my friend told me she works here.”

“Uh…” Bow looks at Adora, who looks back hopelessly. He seems just as confused as she is, but swallows his questions and nods. “Yeah, she’s in the back. Last I checked she’s kind of busy with something though, so maybe I can help you with whatever you-”

“Nope, thanks though.” With no warning, Catra steps forward and vaults over the counter, stalking past Bow and into the back of the shop, slamming the door behind her.

The sound of the door snaps Adora out of her trance. She rounds on Bow, her eyes wide. “What the _hell_ , Bow! You said she left town!”

“She did!” He protests, raising his hands defensively. “I didn’t know she was back, I swear! No one’s seen her in years, I’m just as surprised as you are!”

Adora takes a deep breath, pivoting and beginning to pace back and forth in front of the counter. “I can’t believe this. She’s missing and the second I get back she just wanders into the store? What, is there a hidden camera somewhere?” She laughs incredulously, running a hand over her hair. 

Bow shakes his head. “I don’t know, Adora. It’s too crazy to be true, but...come on, it’s your perfect opportunity, right?”

“What?” She stops, looking up. Bow looks excited all of a sudden, leaning over the counter to clasp Adora’s hand.

“Think about it! What are the odds you both come back on the same day? It’s gotta be, I don’t know, some kind of cosmic destiny or something! The universe is giving you a chance to make amends!”

Adora snorts, pulling her hand away and trying to ignore the heat rising to her cheeks. “Destiny. Right. Have you been talking to Aunt Casta? C’mon, Bow, what are you talking about?”

He doesn’t seem diminished in the slightest, his eyes shining eagerly. “I’m _saying_ that you have to talk to her! It’s the perfect chance to make up for lost time! Come on, you were always talking about how close you were as kids, but you hardly talked to her all through high school—isn’t this the perfect opportunity to make up for lost time?”

Adora winces, crossing her arms. “I...I don’t know. It’s been so long, Bow. She’s changed—we both have. Maybe I don’t even know her anymore.”

Bow shakes his head, ignoring her protests. “Or maybe you do! I’m not letting you pass up on this, Adora, this is your shot!”

She hesitates again. He’s right—it feels almost too perfect, but who is she to look a gift horse in the mouth? Catra is here, she’s here, and there’s a mile-wide chasm between them...but if she doesn’t start building the bridge she’ll never be able to cross it. _Be strong._

So Adora stands up straight, squaring her shoulders and nodding firmly. “You’re right. I might not get another chance, right?” She walks around the counter, pausing as her hand hovers over the door handle. She glances back at Bow, who gives her a double thumbs-up. She smiles and opens the door.

Entrapta looks up from where she sits perched on a stool, halfway through dismantling a cracked smartphone. “Oh hey, Adora! Long time no see! Did you know Catra was here too? She just left,” The techie explains, pointing towards the back door just as it slams shut.

~~~

Like so much of the rest of Etheria Springs, the Thaymore Diner was exactly how Adora remembered it. The checkered tiles of the floor, the laminate countertops, the orange glow of old lightbulbs—it wasn’t necessarily the best food in town, but it certainly felt like home. Adora follows Bow towards the back, unable to keep from breaking into a grin as they approach their usual booth, unchanged and just as she remembers it. Cracked red vinyl seats, slightly sticky table, that little basket with the sauces and salt...she remembers the time when she, Bow and Glimmer had stopped here on the way back from a movie and Glimmer had dared her to dump the salt shaker into her drink. Adora wasn’t one to back down from a challenge, so of course she had done it, at the cost of her throat burning for the rest of the night. And she’d only taken a sip...Adora shakes her head at her past stupidity, sliding into the booth across from Bow.

“Man...this place really doesn’t change much, huh?”

Bow snorts. “Well, did you expect it to? Be honest, how much do you remember Etheria Springs changing, ever?”

Adora nods slowly. “Fair point. I guess I can’t expect a town that’s stayed the same for, like, a decade to change in only two years.”

“Yeah. Although there have been a few changes. A lot of shops down by the town center have closed, but the Taco Town is still there.” Bow rolls his eyes as Adora silently pumps her fist. “Honestly, I don’t get what you see in that place.”

“Are you kidding me? Tacos are the best.”

“But the place is so filthy! If there was, like, a list ranking the stickiest places in the world,” Bow declares, squinting as if picturing a leaderboard. “Taco Town would be #5, right below the Chuck E. Cheese ball pit, but still above our high school locker rooms.”

The two of them stared at each other for a minute before simultaneously erupting into laughter. Adora slapped the table, gasping for breath in between cackling madly. “Wh-....how d-did you even..? Did you come up with that on the spot?”

Bow nods, still snickering. “Yeah, I’m real proud of that one.” Adora extends a fist that he bumps just as a new figure approaches their booth.

“Glimmer!” Adora jumps up to hug her friend, who laughs, patting her back.

“Hey, Adora. You two look like you’re having fun, huh?” She comments as she pushes Bow over, scooting into the seat next to him across from Adora. “Sorry I’m running late, the chemistry lecture took forever...honestly, why the hell do I need to know _chemistry_ to become a doctor?” She complains with an exaggerated sigh.

Adora raises an eyebrow. “I mean, that’s how stuff works, right? Chemistry?” Bow and Glimmer stare at her for a second before she flushes. “Hey, I’m winging it here, it’s not like I did great in chemistry.”

“We know,” Bow says, trying not to giggle again. “We all went to the same school, Adora. We are very familiar with how ‘not great’ you did in chemistry.”

“Although to be fair,” Glimmer adds casually, “I thought you should have gotten extra credit for managing to make an acid strong enough to melt through the beaker.”

Adora throws her hands up in exasperation as her friends break down laughing again. “I _said_ I was sorry! And I helped clean it all up anyway! Besides, it’s not my fault the lab instructions were so confusing.”

Glimmer raises an eyebrow. “Oh, right, the lab instructions were confusing. I’m sure that was definitely what messed you up, and you definitely were _not_ distracted by someone else in the room…”

Adora feels her blush intensifying. “I don’t...what? I m-mean, I wasn’t…”

Bow cuts her off, jabbing Glimmer with his elbow. “Glimmer, be nice, she just got home. It’s too early to start harassing her so much.”

“But we’ll get there,” Glimmer promises. Bow nods agreement. “We’ll get there.”

Adora huffs, looking away and crossing her arms. “You guys are the worst.” Her friends just snicker as a waitress approaches to take their orders.

~~~

The Best Friend Squad chats amiably as they wait for the food to arrive, but Adora notices Glimmer stealing glances at her when she thinks Adora isn’t looking. Finally, it’s too much and she raises an eyebrow pointedly. “All right, spill. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Glimmer says defensively, but Adora just rolls her eyes.

“C’mon, I know something’s gnawing at you. Just say it, we’ll all feel better.”

Her friend shifts awkwardly, but finally blurts it out. “Why are you here? Back in Etheria Springs, I mean. You were so happy to get out of here and go off to Brightmoon University, you even got that big softball scholarship. So...what gives?”

Bow nods slowly, looking at Adora. “I was kind of wondering the same thing, to be honest. And you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to! We just want to know if, y’know, everything is okay. You’re not, like…in trouble or something, are you?”

Adora blanches. “What? No, no I’m not in trouble. I just, you know…” She shifts uncomfortably in her seat, trying to lean back casually but really just slouching lower, looking like she wants to disappear. She tries for a cocky smirk. “Screw school, amirite? I just missed my friends, that's all. Couldn’t wait to get back and see you guys!” It feels forced, even to her own ears. Bow and Glimmer exchange a look, and Ally can tell they’re not buying it, but they don’t push the issue.

“...All right. You don’t have to tell us everything right away,” Bow begins, but Glimmer gives Adora a look.

“But you do need to talk to us eventually.” She yelps as Bow elbows her.

“What Glimmer _means_ to say is that we’re here for you, if you ever need to talk. All right?” He gives Adora a compassionate smile, and she can’t help but return it, bobbing her head.

“All right.”

~~~

An hour later, the Best Friend Squad shuffle out of the diner, blinking at the abrupt shift from the warm orange light of the interior to the burning red sunset over the Whispering Woods. As they make their way towards the parking lot, Glimmer bumps Adora’s shoulder with her own. “Hey. We _are_ glad to have you back, you know.”

Bow nods agreement. “Totally! We’re not, like, trying to kick you out or anything.”

“We just want to make sure everything is okay. As long as you’re all right, we’re happy to have you here.”

Bow nods again, grinning cheesily. “That’s right! We can hang out every day if you wa-” His eyes widen, and Adora just manages to catch a rush of motion from the corner of her eye before something hits her from the side, nearly knocking her over before she catches herself.

It’s a man—a disheveled man, with an angular face and high cheekbones. His short-cropped hair is mussed, and he’s wearing some kind of white tunic, tattered and marked with mud and dirt. But his eyes...his eyes are wide and unblinking, a seemingly unnatural shade of bright, vibrant green. His verdant gaze burns into Adora’s blue eyes, his lips parting in a delighted grin.

“He is upon us!” The man exclaims, shaking Adora by the shoulders. “The great unifier is here, to gather us all into his perfect embrace! Fear not, for soon enough we will all be welcomed into the halls of-”  
He cuts off as Bow and Glimmer rush to Adora aid, grabbing the man’s arms and trying to pull him away from their friend. He doesn’t budge. Adora squirms, but the man’s grip is iron, almost startlingly so. He looks fit, but not especially muscular, and Adora is no twig herself. Yet he hardly seems to notice her trying to recoil, his grip only tightening as his smile grows wider, his green eyes seeming to stare _through_ her, directly into her soul. “He sees all your imperfections, and will wipe them away, offering you a new beginning, white as new-fallen snow!” His voice rises in pitch until he’s nearly screaming in Adora’s face, yet his expression is one of pure glee and excitement. Adora can’t look away from his eyes—something about the unnatural hue is mesmerizing.

“Wh...who…?” She manages to croak, hardly recognizing her own voice.

The mysterious man’s eyes widen, his face lighting up even more. “Who…? Who? Why, of course I’m talking about-“ He’s cut off with a cry. Simultaneously, Adora feels a sharp spike of pain through her arms. She recoils with a curse, and the man lets her go—his body shudders, and he lets out a choked cry before collapsing to the ground. Only then does she see the dark figure of a police officer standing behind him, taser in hand.

Officer Weaver scoffs, her lip curling as she looks down at the twitching form of the man in white. She shakes her head before looking up at the very rattled expressions of the trio before her. “Is everyone ok?” She turns her gaze on Adora in particular. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Adora shakes her head mutely and Weaver nods. “Good. I do apologize for that—I’m sure you know how every now and then crazies wander into town. Usually I catch them before they make too much of a disturbance, though.”

“Yeah, great job with that one,” Glimmer mumbles. Bow elbows her as the officer shoots the shorter woman a glare.

“You three had best head home now. And stick together, just in case there’s any other unsavory types out and about.” She kneels down, rolling the man in white over and pulling out a pair of handcuffs as he groans. She glances up at the trio, her eyes flashing with a sharp look. “Of course, I could also take you back to the station and ask some questions about the incident…”

“No no, no need, ma’am,” Bow jumps in quickly, putting an arm around Glimmer’s shoulders and grabbing Adora’s arm. “We were just leaving anyway, right guys?”

“Right…” Adora mumbles, allowing her friend to guide the two of them back towards Glimmer’s car. But she can’t resist glancing over her shoulder, back towards the vagrant pinned to the asphalt.

Those unnaturally green eyes stare back at Adora as Weaver hoists the man in white to his feet. She looks away quickly, getting into the car and fastening her seatbelt as Bow sets out for home—but throughout the drive, she’s unable to forget the man’s unsettling, jubilant smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, now who could that be?
> 
> Here's chapter 4! Been in the works for a while, but it's finally finished. Things are starting to get interesting as the plot thickens...I guess we'll have to see where it goes, won't we?


	5. Pollyanna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who says you can't run from your problems?

For the first time in two years, Catra woke up feeling content. The warm weight of the blankets she had nestled herself in, the soft morning—well, probably afternoon—light filtering in, and the wonderful silence...usually there would be the clatter of train tracks, or the chatter of other residents if she'd managed to snag a motel or something. The peace was nice, for a change...that is, until it was shattered as she abruptly remembered her little encounter from the day before.

Adora was here. Fuck. _Fuck._

She groans, rolling over and burying her face in her pillow. Of course. Why wouldn’t she be here? She decides to go off to some fancy university halfway across the country (well, halfway across the state, but what’s the difference?) and yet here she is, in the one place Catra was sure she _wouldn’t_ be, as if summoned there the moment Catra had stumbled back into town. Just her luck.

And it’s not like there’s anything she can do about it, really. Etheria Springs is a small town—she can’t dodge around Adora forever, especially if her old friend decides to seek her out. Which means another confrontation is all but inevitable at this point. Catra takes a deep breath as she imagines all the ways _that_ could go horribly wrong. 

A clattering outside her door and series of muffled mumbled apologies tears Catra away from her thoughts. Oh, right—she has roommates now. Although Entrapta should be at work right now, which means Scorpia was probably just apologizing to whatever box she might have tripped over. Catra smirks at her ~~friend~~ acquaintance’s clumsiness, sitting up and stretching. Might as well get going.

She opens the door to find the big woman awkwardly picking up a mess of papers that have spilled out of a box, doing her best to stack them neatly. Catra bends over to pick one of the papers up, turning it over in her hands. “Are these...flyers?” 

They definitely were. Featuring a black and orange color palette with an indistinct image of a crowd dancing to strobing lights, the flyer proudly proclaimed: 

_Get ready for the first annual  
NIGHT of FRIGHT  
Hosted at the Fright Zone  
Friday, October 30th_

Catra raises an eyebrow, looking up at Scorpia to find the woman flushed, quickly scooping the rest of the flyers into the box. “What’s this all about, huh?”

“Oh, um, nothing much. Just putting together some, uh, advertisements for the big event my club is having soon-”

“Wait, what?”

“Huh?”

“Your club?”

Scorpia’s face brightens as she stands up, immediately towering over Catra. “Oh! I guess I never got a chance to tell you, huh? I run a nightclub now!”

“You _what_?” Catra can’t help but gape in surprise. She can hardly imagine big, cheerful Scorpia running a hip-and-happening establishment.

“Yeah! I mean, not in town,” Scorpia admits, rubbing the back of her neck. “You can probably guess how folks around here would react to something like that.” Fair enough, Catra thought. A small, conservative town like this would be in uproar if a noisy nightclub full of alcohol, loud music, and rowdy young people appeared. Weaver would have had a field day with that one—Catra can just imagine her lurking around the building like a shark, waiting to snap up anyone trying to have fun. “It’s actually over in Firettsburg.”

That snaps Catra out of her thoughts. “Firettsburg? That’s like a half hour drive.”

Scorpia shrugs. “It’s where the customers are. You know, big college town, more of a small city really. Those kids are desperate for somewhere to hang out.”

Catra looks down at the flyer in her hands with a snort. “‘Those kids’. They’re at most a few years younger than you, Scorpia.”

“What can I say? Drunk college kids act like children.”

“Fair enough,” Catra concedes. An idea occurs to her and she looks up quickly. “Hey, you’re going to put these flyers up?”

“Yeah?”

“In Firettsburg?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I come? You know, to see the place, maybe help you put these up...”

Scorpia’s eyes widen. The look on her face can only be described as pure elation, and Catra has to struggle not to roll her eyes. “Of COURSE you can, Wildcat! Oh, I can’t wait to show you the Fright Zone! It’s so cool, Entrapta helped me figure out how to rig up the lights and everything so that-”

Catra tunes her out. There it was: her perfect opportunity. As much as she’d love to laze around the apartment or wander aimlessly around Etheria Springs, a trip to Firettsburg would at least mean she wouldn’t run the risk of bumping into Adora for a while. Slowly she becomes aware that Scorpia is still babbling on: “...hang out in the woods later tonight, Entrapta wanted to go but I didn’t want to just leave you around the apartment by yourself-”

“Yeah yeah, sure, are we going now?’

“Really?”

“Yes really. Come on already,” Catra sighs, picking up the box. “I just can’t wait to see this flashy Fight Zone thing.”

“Fright Zone.”

“Whatever.”

~~~

The drive is a very awkward half hour, for Catra at least. Scorpia is clearly overjoyed to have her along, but Catra’s always found the big woman a bit too talkative for her own good. Barely five minutes in, Scorpia gives Catra what she probably thinks is a sneaky sideways look and asks a few casual questions.

“So, how have you been?”

Catra immediately narrows her eyes, but doesn’t shift from her half-slumped position staring out the window at the passing landscape. Not that there’s anything to look at—just fields, scraggly trees, and abandoned, dormant buildings like tombstones marking the death of the area’s industry. “Fine,” she answers curtly, predicting where this little conversation is headed.

“Mhm, good, good…” Scorpia murmurs, the short response clearly going in one ear and out the other. “And how was your trip?”

“My trip?”

“You know, your adventure out into the world. You were gone for two years, you must have been doing _something_.”

Catra sits up now, crossing her arms and staring out the windshield, still refusing to look at Scorpia. “I was.”

“Which was…?”

“Looking for a new home.”

Scorpia startles slightly, looking quickly at Catra. “But...Etheria Springs is your home!”

Catra scoffs, her posture loosening up slightly. “Oh, come on, Scorpia. Even you must notice the way people look at me around there. The only people who even tolerated me being around were you and Entrapta.”

“And Adora!”

Catra cringes, slouching down in her seat and looking out the window. “...Yeah. And Adora, I guess. Not that she ever really cared.”

“But she-”

“Look, I don’t wanna talk about it, okay? Let’s just get this over with.”

Scorpia closes her mouth with a frown. It’s obvious that she has more to say, but right now Catra couldn’t care less. She signed up for this trip to avoid thinking about her problematic social life, not to jump right into it. The rest of the drive passes in tense silence.

~~~

“Holy _shit_ , Scorpia,” Catra exclaims, staring at the building in awe. “How the hell did you manage this?”

The older woman laughs, walking up to the door and unlocking it. “A whole lotta work, Wildcat, and a few favors besides.”

The Fright Zone was much bigger than Catra had expected, the drab grey facade taking up half an entire block. As they passed under the neon sign to enter the building, Catra looked up, noting the corrugated ceiling beyond the dim hanging lights. “Believe it or not, this place was just an old warehouse a few years ago. After the ships stopped coming down the canal all the docks and warehouses have just been rusting, and this place was just about perfect for what I wanted. My moms knew the guy who owned it, and he actually helped me clean the place out and get things set up.” Scorpia flips on a row of lightswitches on the wall, fully illuminating the interior.

If there’s one thing Catra remembers from her days at Horde High, it’s that all you need to start a party is a big room, music, and booze. And to her credit, Scorpia had definitely checked all the boxes. What Catra hadn’t expected, however, was how well it worked. The setup was clearly low budget: a DJ stage constructed from remnants of scaffolding and crates, a bar made with old oil drums—all things clearly scavenged from the warehouse itself, but together they created a distinct industrial feel. Catra could imagine the place full of people dancing and drinking, happy to forget their problems for a few hours. She turns in a slow circle, taking it all in.

“Goddamn. Isn’t all this kind of a hazard?”

“Nope! I know it looks kind of shabby, but it’s mostly intentional. Saved a bunch on materials, obviously, but that money went into cleaning the place up. We have to have inspectors come through every now and then for health checks and whatnot, and they’ve always given it the go ahead,” Scorpia assures her. “Besides, the kids love it.”

Catra rolls her eyes. There she goes again with the “kids” thing. She chooses to ignore it. “So all those uppity college students from Brightmoon actually come down here on weekends? Aren’t there, like, better clubs in town?”

Scorpia shrugs, walking over to the bar. “Well...yeah, a few. But none of them have the same charm as the Fright Zone!”

Catra raises an eyebrow. Scorpia grimaces.

“And we don’t check IDs very thoroughly.”

“I _knew_ it.”

“It’s not like we’re serving minors or anything! It’s all college kids, and besides, for most of the world the drinking age-”

Catra can’t help but burst out laughing at Scorpia’s obvious fluster. “Scorp, chill! I didn’t say anything, I think it’s cool.”

Scorpia’s face brightens immediately. “You do?”

“Yeah. Got the whole ‘industrial wasteland’ thing going for it, like a secret meeting place or something. I get why it’s so popular.”

Scorpia beams. Catra feels distinctly uncomfortable with such radiant excitement focused on her. “Aww, Wildcat…!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Isn’t there an errand to run or something?”

“Right! Flyers!” Scorpia claps her hands, ducking behind the bar and rummaging for a moment before emerging with another box of eye-catching posters. “All right, let’s get this done.”

~~~

Firettsburg isn’t much of a city—more of a very large town, really—but scattering flyers around the city takes the better part of the day. It’s dull work, but oddly enough Catra finds she doesn’t mind it too much. She’s not even annoyed by Scorpia’s constant bumbling and chatter; on the contrary, she almost finds herself enjoying it. 

Their easy banter—Scorpia’s earnest conversation and Catra’s sarcastic quips—reminds of of their high school days, carpooling to Horde High and messing around the drama club after school. They had really been the worst stage hands ever, Scorpia’s clumsiness and Catra’s disinterest a fatal combination. She says as much to her friend as they put up the last few fliers, and Scorpia chuckles.

“Yeah, well. I think DT was just happy to have people around to help out. They were way too invested in that club.”

Catra poses dramatically, a distraught expression on her face. “Scorpia! How could you ever disparage the purest of art forms? Surely you jest, for...ah, I can’t do it!” She breaks down cackling at her own impression of the drama club president.

Scorpia sighs happily as their laughter dies down. “You know...I never really understood why you were in that club, Wildcat.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to get involved with school clubs and stuff! But, well...you never really seemed that interested in it. So why join?”

Catra hesitates. What could she say? That her overbearing mother had bullied her into joining a club? That the few hours sulking around the theater after school was a few more hours she spent away from home? Scorpia didn’t want to hear about that, so Catra just smirks. “Because it was a dumb club that no one took seriously. Perfect place to slack off and have fun before heading home. Besides, you were in it—I couldn’t really leave without my ride, could I?”

Scorpia frowns, Catra’s evasion not going unnoticed. “Well...I mean, I only joined because you did. And it’s a small town, everything’s in walking distance…”

“Done!” Catra announces hastily, slapping the last flyer on a post and stapling it on. “Whew, that sure took a long time, we should probably head back!”

Easily distracted as always, Scorpia nods agreement. “Yeah, and we’ve still got to get ready for that party tonight, anyway.”

Catra blinks at her. “...Party?”

“Yeah! Remember? I told you this morning, there’s a party out in the woods tonight. You said you’d go…”

Catra closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, mentally kicking herself for zoning out earlier. “Right. Of course. The party. Man, I’d love to, but...” She fumbles for an excuse, finally looking down at her ratty clothes. “...I don’t have anything to wear! I mean, I’ve been bumming around for the last few years, I can’t exactly go to a party looking like this, right?”

Scorpia gives her a look-over, humming discontentedly. “You might be right...I have an idea for that, though!” She chirps, guiding Catra back towards the car. Catra doesn’t like the sound of _that_.

“Um, what kind of idea?” She asks nervously, but Scorpia's cheerful grin gives nothing away. "Scorpia? What kind of idea?"

~~~

Catra blinks at the box before her. "You're kidding."

"Nope! People leave all kinds of nice stuff around here in the heat of the moment. I always make sure to pick them all up, give 'em a wash in case the owner ever comes back looking for it. But, well, no one ever has, so...go wild!"

Catra gives Scorpia a skeptical look, but starts picking through the lost and found. Most of it is mismatched accessories and bits of apparel: a glove, an earring, a pair of glitzy high heels. Not exactly Catra's style. Her eyes land on one item in particular, though, and she can't help but grin as she pulls it out. "Hey, this one isn't so bad."

Scorpia nods happily. "Oh yeah, that's a keeper. Just your style."

Catra turns the jacket over in her hands. Black leather, slightly cropped, and with a very cool golden ouroboros emblazoned on the back. Catra nods approval. "Yeah, this'll do." 

At Scorpia's urging she shrugs off her weathered army jacket and slips it on, admiring the feeling of the cool leather gliding over her skin. She feels...cool. Badass, confident, in control. Amazing what a little wardrobe change can bring out in someone. Scorpia seems to sense it to, her grin widening. "You look great, Wildcat! Adora will love it."

Just like that Catra's momentary rush of confidence falters, a wave of panic followed by anger rushing over her. "Who said anything about Adora?"

Scorpia shrugs, oblivious to the edge in her friend's tone. "I'm just saying, you look good, and she could be there."

"I don't give a shit if she's there or not," Catra hisses, her eyes narrowing. "What _Adora _thinks is literally the last thing on my mind."__

__"If you say so, Wildcat." Scorpia seems equally unfazed and unconvinced. "But speaking of, we should get back home before sundown so we have time to get ready and whatnot." She throws a friendly arm around Catra's shoulders, ignoring the way the smaller woman prickles at the contact. "We'll grab McDonalds on the way."_ _

__Catra grumbles indistinctly, but lets herself be guided back out of the Fright Zone. As much as she doesn't want to risk seeing her former friend again, Scorpia's optimism is infectious. Maybe it's the effect of the jacket as well, but she feels that whatever Adora throws at her, she can handle it._ _

__Besides, she could really go for a burger about now anyway._ _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are always appreciated.


End file.
